Woodsman
The Woodsman is a character who appears in Over the Garden Wall. The Woodsman is an ex-follower of the beast and a Deuteragonist of the series. History Before the events of Over the garden wall occured, he was living with his daughter, One day The Woodsman's daughter was taken by the beast, The Woodsman was able to fight the beast and took his Dark lantern as his own. The beast had made a deal with the woodsman to put his daughter's soul inside the Lantern and would live on as the flame inside the lantern as long as it stayed lit. To keep the lantern lit the Woodsman had chopped down edel wood (trees of oil) trees to feed the lantern, unbeknownst to to the woodsman, the edel wood trees originated from the lost souls of children. The Old Grist Mill As brothers, Wirt and Gregory arrived in the woods of the Unknown, they were found by The Woodsman who offered temporary hospitality, pointed them in the direction of a nearby town, told Greg to give his pet frog a proper name and warned them of the beast. Songs of the dark Lantern After Wirt, Greg and Beatrice journey to a mysterious tavern, the locals warn the brothers of the beast an unholy creature who stalks the night who captures children who are lost, once caught he turns them into trees of oil so they could feed his dark lantern, Wirt is confused saying that although The woodsman fitted that description for having a lantern he never douses and grinds edel wood trees to keep it lit, he states that the woodsman had tried to keep them from the beast wrath and pointed them to the direction away from the beast, but they all state his advice that it lead to no progress at all and the one who carries the lantern must be the beast. A scream is heard beyond the tavern, Wirt goes and finds an unconscious Beatrice riht by the woodsman and an edel wood tree, now believing he is the beast, he takes the beast kicks his lanterns and runs off with beatrice. The real Beast arrives and notices the woodsman is running out of oil and suggests that he take the lantern for a while, but he refuses and is willing to fight him again as he did before for the lantern, but he states that violence isn't needed and asks him where the children went, The woodsman demands the beast to leave the children be not saying a word of which direction they went. The Ringing of the Bell The Woodsman arrives to warn Wirt and Greg that the beast knows of their presence and is hunting them as they speak. The woodsman tries to give the brothers useful advice but they immediatlely run off not heeding a word of his warning. The beast comes to have words with the beast wanting to discuss the situation. After both the Beast and Woodsman watch as Wirt is losing hope of returning home, the beast sees this as a blessing that the brothers had not heed the warning. The beast asks him why he had been trying to help the brothers saying he already had problems with keeping his daughter's flame from going out, but he says that one can not trade the souls of children as if they were tokens and believes there would be another way to keep the lantern left. but the beast says that there was only his way and he would soon turn the brothers into edel wood trees. The Unknown The woodsman is searching through his house to find an spare edel wood trees to keep his daughter's light shining, but to no avail. The Woodsman hears the beast's song and follows the music right to him. The Woodsman sees both the beast and Greg who is nearly transformed into an edel wood tree. The Woodsman refuses to grind Greg into oil for the lantern stating that he didn't know the lost souls of children were where edel wood trees came from, but the beast believes that it wouldn't have mattered if he knew the edel trees origin, but The Woodsman fights the beast for the saftey of Greg. As soon as Wirt and Beatrice arrive, they find Greg, and The woodsman who has been over powered by the beast. Knowing the woodsman would no longer be of any use to him anymore the beast tries to offer the same lantern deal to save Greg, but Wirt sees his kind offer as nothing but a crazy obsession to keep the lantern lit as if it was his soul that was trapped in the Lantern, to prove his suspicions Wirt threatens to blow the flame out causing The beast to immediately scream "No!" proving Wirt's suspicions true. Wirt then gives the Woodsman the Lantern back stating it was his problem and leaves freeing his brother from the edel wood branches. The Beast tries to manipulate the Woodsman into killing Wirt and Greg so they could feed the Lantern, but he comes to his senses and willingly blows out the flame ridding the world of the Beast once and for all. Now back at his old house The Woodsman's daughter appears and the two tearfully greet eachother.